UNIT takes care of it's own
by Lionheart 39
Summary: As his life comes to it's end Mike Yates discovers that once part of the UNIT family you are always part of it.


Mike had always found life lonely, he had never quite fitted in anywhere. He was much younger than his siblings, something of an after thought his sister had always called him. He had never been close to either of his brothers and his sister was always embarrassed to have a baby brother she was expected to trail around. His father was a military man and along with his mother was posted overseas most of Mike's younger life.

At the age of six he had been sent to prep school. Then public school and spent holidays farmed out to various relatives, most of whom regarded him as an annoyance. Trying to fit in with his family tradition he had finally enrolled at Sandhurst. But even in the army Mike found himself an outsider. He was never the life and soul of the mess. He was rather shy and never seemed to fit into any of the friendship groups.

He was a competent officer and his men seemed to like him. He followed orders and gave orders well, but was always overlooked. He just didn't stand out.

That was until he moved to UNIT. With UNIT he had finally found a family. The Brigadier a very young man for the rank, was more like a father then his own father had ever been. The Doctor was a kind and amusing uncle. With John Benton he had the type of relationship he would have liked to have had with his brothers. Carol Bell was like a caring big sister. Jo Grant had been the crazy girl next door, that he had a terrible crush on. Yes, his UNIT days had been the happiest of his life. But as with everything in his Life he had messed that up.

He had always been interested in ecology and found the Golden age movement echoed his worries about the damage man was doing to the planet. So when they had recruited him to help change the world, he had betrayed his friends, his new found family. He had held a gun on the Doctor, John and the Brig. Even now the devastated look in the Brigs eyes, as he realised that Mike had betrayed them, still haunted him. Even after all that the Brig had enabled him to leave on ill health and even sent him a note wishing him well. A note he still treasured, a note that he often cried over when he read it. He had converted to Buddhism but found he never achieved true enlightenment. If he was a realist he didn't want enlightenment he had wanted a family.

Many years after leaving UNIT he had received an invitation to the Brigadier's wedding. He had been touched, but couldn't face meeting old colleagues. He had sent the couple a wind chime with the Buddhist verse on marriage as a wedding present.

He had spent so many years of his life alone, wishing for the family he never had. He tried to tell himself it was fine, but it hadn't been. And now at the end of his life he was going to die without anyone who loved him close by. His surviving brother was in South Africa and his sister lived in Australia, he'd seen neither of them for years. The hospital staff were caring but just too busy. His little side room was just another lonely impersonal place that Mike Yates was existing in, but not for much longer.

He woke to find his hand being held by a lady in her sixties, she was smiling at him. In the dim light he had thought it was his mother or maybe her ghost, but as he looked at her he knew it wasn't. She smiled at him, he thought it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"Hi Mike, glad to see you awake, I'll go and get him. He's not good at sitting for hours on end." She murmured then kissed his forehead as she stood and left his bedside.

Mike closed his eyes, he was hallucinating kindly mother figures, but that kiss had felt real.

A little later he became aware again and felt his hand once again held. Not in the soft, small hand of the lady from his dream, but in a large calloused hand, that was strong and yet deformed by age. He opened his eyes and looked at the man sat next to his bed.

"Brig," he swallowed hard, "Sir Alistair."

The man smiled a tired smile, "Just Alistair, Mike," he said "But from you I'd rather it was Brig! I always preferred my men to call me Brig! Especially the ones who I relied on, those I count as my friends! "

Mike swallowed the lump in his throat and asked "How did you know I was here?"

The Brig smiled, "Mike, I keep an eye on you all. All my boys and girls. After what you all suffered to keep the Earth safe it is only right I do my best for you all."

The lady who had kissed him earlier walked back over to the bed and squeezed the Brigadier's shoulder.

Mike smiled as a loving look passed between the couple. Then his other hand was taken by the Brigadier's wife.

As Mike tried to stammer his apologies about his betrayal, he was hushed by the Brigadier.

"Mike, you were ill and we didn't realise. I've been there and know what it is like. I was saved by the love of a wonderful lady, who became the best wife a man could have. You weren't as lucky as I was. I wish you had found your special someone, Mike. You were always a good officer and you're a good man. I was proud to have had you in UNIT. I never had a son Mike, you and John were the closest I ever got. I'm proud of you both!"

Mike saw the Brig's eyes were moist."

"That means so much to me Sir!"

Mike Yates died peacefully in his sleep knowing he was not alone and that he was loved.

His funeral was attended by his UNIT family. Jo, John, Carol, Sarah, the Brig, Doris and even the Doctor attended.

"UNIT takes care of it's own alive or dead!" was the rule Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart insisted on!


End file.
